This invention relates to a wheel assembly that is attached to a suitcase so that a person may transport a suitcase along the ground, and more particularly to a suitcase with integral support brackets for releaseably holding a wheel assembly.
This invention is an improvement over my previous patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,047. U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,047 describes a wheel assembly which is mounted on a suitcase by at least two retaining brackets which are integral with the suitcase frame. The wheel assembly includes a handle welded to the axle. By lifting and rotating the handle, the wheel assembly may be disengaged from the retaining brackets and removed from the suitcase. In reverse sequence, using the handle the wheel assembly may be mounted and engaged securely by the retaining brackets.
In order for the retaining brackets to properly capture and retain the wheel assembly axle, two spaced apart flattened axle portions were incorporated. In addition, the bracket retaining slots were circular and sized to fit the axle, permitting rotation. The slot opening was made narrow, permitting entry of a flattened portion of the axle. A rotation of the axle by 90 degrees in the slot and clamping the handle in a retaining bracket secured the wheel assembly in place.
On reviewing the previous invention described above, the inventor has concluded that the wheel assembly axle would be stronger if the axle flat portions could be eliminated. When a suitcase is standing on its side, as would be the normal usage, it would be much easier to install the axle in the bracket retaining slots if the retaining slots faced slightly upward and the handle did not have to be rotated a full 90 deg. as is required for the previous invention. It would also be an improvement if the brackets, which are permanently attached to the suitcase, had a lower profile and projected less during suitcase storage. An additional improvement would be the provision of a removable handle, permitting easy disassembly of the wheel assembly for compact stowing.
These improvements have been incorporated in the preferred and alternate embodiments of the present invention.
The present invention, like its predecessor, has the object and advantage of providing improved mobility for a suitcase while being relatively inexpensive to manufacture and assemble. In addition, the present invention by reason of its improvements, is also even less expensive to manufacture than the previous invention. Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a study of the following portion of the specification, the claims and the attached drawings.